Message in a Bottle
by Anne Raven
Summary: Finding a letter encased in a glass bottle floating at sea is bound to be the product of destiny. But the events that would follow depend on what the sender and the receiver would do after.
1. Chapter 1: Early Morning Reminiscence

A/N: A first from me. This is an AU fic so expect OOCness from some characters. Although I'll retain the basic qualities of the characters and use some facts from the manga and anime to give this fic a 'FOR feel'. I don't have a beta-reader so all grammatical errors are my fault. Please bear with me. I'm not a native speaker.

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own FOR nor its characters so please don't sue. I'm not making profit from this fic and I have no plans of hiring a lawyer in the near future.

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Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

Early Morning Reminiscence

A faint dream, possibly a memory, was on the verge of breaking up.

Consciousness fighting against unconsciousness.

Reality versus fantasy.

The pain of recollection opposite the pain of living through the effects.

But for the first time in all these weeks, she ignored all that. She was tired of feeling.

It was still too early for the sun to rise. How many sunrises had she seen since she arrived here? She sat up on bed staring at the still dark early morning sky through the wall-sized window of her bedroom. There was no movement in the house, no sound other than the distant waves crashing to the shore. It was peaceful outside.

If only she could say the same inside.

Realizing that she would no longer be able to go back to sleep, Fuuko decided to get herself a cup of coffee and wait until the sun rises in the veranda. It was her routine since arriving in Okinawa six days ago. Wake up before dawn. Make coffee. Drown self in thoughts and memories.

She could still remember the stricken look on her mother's face when she asked for the Okinawa beach house keys. Fuuko had always been a persuasive (not to mention annoying) talker, explaining why she needed this vacation badly. She already filed her vacation leave prior to the confrontation with her mom. She knew there was little left to do. Convinced that she left her mother… well, thoroughly convinced, she packed her bags, dragged her all-too-willing sister and boarded the first plane to Okinawa.

Kume Island was as wonderful as ever. Fuuko was thankful her parents decided to buy a house in one of the posh residential areas near the beach when she was eight. And if she were to list her most memorable experiences, that vacation of 17 years ago would definitely be included. Fuuko prayed that Kume Island would work its charm on her one more time.

She needed distraction. She wanted to forget. She'd gladly bury all the memories she shared with Raiha if that would give her peace.

… Raiha…

The forbidden word. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The man whom she spent 5 wonderful years with. The same man who broke her heart 2 weeks ago. And she still couldn't understand why.

Kurei tried to explain everything he knew before she left for this self-imposed exile. He was, after all, Raiha's best friend. She couldn't help but feel a stab of pain directed to her heart. Raiha trusted Kurei with his secret. They parted as best friends. While he never even bothered to say goodbye to her. Fuuko found out only after he was already half the world away.

"He said he had to leave. He never really explained it in detail but he said he didn't have a choice." Kurei explained the day after Raiha left for the States. "I'm sorry, Fuuko. He asked me not to tell you, that he'd tell you himself. Maybe he really did want to tell you. Maybe he just didn't know how." Then, she felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders in a comforting way while she cried her heart out.

It was moments like this that Fuuko appreciated the fact that Recca, her childhood best friend, had an older half-brother like Kurei. Yes, it was nice to have Recca for fun and laughs but it's also nice that he had a mature brother to even out the insanity. It had been days since that incident. Now, she sits alone drinking coffee, waiting for the sun, feeling… nothing. Tabula rasa! She sat like that, emotionless, expressionless until the first rays of dawn peeked over the horizon.

She squinted, catching the glimmer of something shiny on the table, a small green glass bottle courtesy of Ganko. Her little sister placed one of those every night before going to sleep on the outdoor table for her Fuuko-neechan. Fuuko used those bottles to house the little messages she wrote every morning. Those messages were her form of catharsis, Ganko's idea, actually. Surprisingly, it worked for her. Every afternoon for the past four days, she'd chuck a bottle with the 'letter for the day' by the beach and watch the waves carry it to Kami-sama knows where; with it, a piece of the pain she carried in her heart. Today was no exception. Pained or numb, she would write and let the sea carry all her worries for her.

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A/N: Wow.. My first fic.. yehey… I hope it wouldn't be too much to ask for a review. Both criticisms and praises( if any) are welcome.

: yes, this is meant to be a multi-chaptered fic. And yes, the title is actually adapted from Nicholas Sparks' "Message in a Bottle" but aside from the title and the idea of bottled messages flung to the sea, there isn't much similarity between this and that novel (or so I hope).

: I have never been to Japan. So forgive me for not knowing whether there are actual residential areas in Kume Island. I just googled the place so aside from it being a tourist destination famous for its resorts and beaches, I have no idea what it's like there.


	2. Chapter 2:Exile No More

A/N: I know I should be studying for my licensure exams but I just can't stop writing. My inner demons are bugging me to no end. And pray, how do you say no to a devil as gorgeous as Mi-chan or as persuasive as Fuuko?

:changed the title of chapter 1 to something more appropriate.

:I'd like to extend my deepest thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter of this fic: abubi-chan, EiRist and satomika. Thank you for boosting my confidence and giving me the will to continue this fic. Hope this update is soon enough.

Standard Disclaimer still applies (isn't one time enough)

Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Exile No More**

Ten past ten o'clock in the morning…

The early morning hours dwindled fast with very little distinction from one minute to another. Or so Fuuko thought. This she attributed to the state of numbness she had been feeling since waking up. She donned the first thing her hands touched in her closet after a very long, sufficiently relaxing bath. Grooming herself was out of the question, maybe later when she felt more up to it or when she was inclined to go out.

At the moment her physiologic needs require her attention. So, she concluded that she would prepare lunch for Ganko and herself. Upon entering the kitchen, Fuuko saw her sister sitting by the counter, pouring a glass of milk and munching on some cookies.

"What do you want for lunch, Fuuko-neechan?" Ganko asked as she spotted her sister coming in.

"Don't baby me, Ganko. I can cook for myself." She said slightly ruffling the younger girls blonde tresses when she passed by her on the way to check the contents of the fridge.

"Are you kidding me? The only things you can cook always revolve around ideas concerning a frying pan and cooking oil. Honestly sis, do you want to die young? All that cholesterol will block one of your arteries someday." Ganko gently scolded.

Fuuko snorted at the thought. "You're beginning to sound like mother."

Ganko narrowed her eyes then started wagging her index finger. "It's because you don't act like a real lady, young woman." She said in a cogent impression of their mother.

A moment of silence passed. The two sisters stared at each other, their lips mutually forming smiles, when all the sudden, they started guffawing shamelessly.

"Enough, already." Ganko said stifling the urge to laugh some more."I'm going to rip my abdominal muscles if I continue laughing like this and my jaws are starting to hurt."

"I'm not surprised if you grow up the exact copy of mother." Fuuko teased wiping happy tears from her eyes.

"Oh please, Fuuko-neechan. Thanks to you, my innocence and feminine inclinations had been corrupted a long time ago. There is no way I'll end up like mom." Ganko accusingly replied.

"When you put it that way, I have you to blame for making me lenient regarding my Feministic beliefs. " Fuuko uttered putting a finger on her chin sporting a contemplative look on her face. "In fact, a good portion of my wardrobe wouldn't exist if it weren't for you."

Fuuko wrinkled her nose remembering the said articles of clothing composed of dresses, skirts, frilly stuff, girly things and pink… **pink**for goodness sake.

"So? You should be thanking me." Ganko shrugged. "If I didn't play the role of 'good little sister', all you'll ever have are those skimpy shorts, plain shirts, jeans, tanks, sweats and your work clothes."

"I can totally live with that." Fuuko defended.

"You are so putting your god-given looks to waste." Ganko said with palpable disappointment.

Fuuko could only roll her eyes in response to Ganko's assumptions. She never really knew how to deal with compliments pertaining to feminine beauty specially if they were addressed to her. How could she? Just by looking at the girl in front of her could undermine her self-esteem.

Ganko and Yanagi, one of her few female friends and Recca's girlfriend, constantly reminded her how **unfeminine**she was. Although she taught Ganko how to be tough and how to protect herself, the youngest Kirisawa always appeared dainty, Yanagi even more so. She, however, was branded as a tomboy. Both girls had long hair, Ganko's was the color of sunshine while Yanagi had a soft shade of brown. Hers was short (extremely so) and was striking purple which she thought looked dyed rather than natural.

She had scars no girl would ever be proud of, a product of rough-housing with perverts and scum on the face of the planet. Why does she have to be a pervert magnet? Stupid body's more curse than blessing.

Ganko recognized that look on her sister's face. She knew Fuuko had issues regarding femininity. Why? Ganko could only guess, probably the effect of being around wild boys like their elder brother, Recca and Domon all the time when she was younger.

Looking at her sister sometimes evinced a pang of jealousy. Fuuko could eat like a starved ogre and still be undeniably hot with a figure most other girls would die to have. She didn't have to exert effort in maintaining her figure. She never gained unwanted weight. Her hair was cut in a trendy and stylish bob, a look only a few girls, Fuuko included, could pull off and that dramatic coloring, vibrant purple that looked alive and lustrous all the time. Her skin was fair and although it had a few scars, those would disappear in a few days time based on experience. Fuuko's skin had an uncanny ability to heal. She need not fear doing fun, probably dangerous stuff, and disfigure her skin permanently. Her Fuuko-neechan was undeniably beautiful without putting too much effort and it was depressing that the older girl was so oblivious to it.

The doorbell rang startling them from their reverie. Fuuko wordlessly slipped out of the kitchen to answer the door, wondering who on earth would be visiting them this time of the day.

"Whatever you're selling, we're not buying." She yelled as she opened the front door. Her eyes threatened to bulge out of their sockets at the sight which presented itself to her. "What the hell are you doing here?" She asked when she recovered from the initial shock.

Recca Hanabishi stood not a foot away from the front door with a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"Thank you, Fuuko-chan. We appreciate you inviting us to this wonderful vacation." Recca said, the smile not leaving his face.

"**We**? You brought people along with you when I didn't even invite you to come over. Are you mental? Give me one reason why I shouldn't bury you beneath the earth I'm standing on right this instant." Fuuko threatened clenching her fists tightly.

"Alright. Relax, Fuuko. I'll even give you two reasons. First, my Hime wouldn't fancy her ninja on the ground much less under it. Second, we're best friends. We should stick together through thick and thin particularly now, since you're probably still grieving over R—" Recca's mouth was clamped shut by his so called Hime.

"Gomen ne, Fuuko-san. I told Recca this wasn't a good idea." Yanagi smiled apologetically.

Fuuko sighed. She couldn't possibly turn her friends away. "You're already here. There's no way I could possibly kick you out. I'd gladly beat the crap out of Recca though; but since you're here, Yanagi… Come in and bring your luggage. I take it you plan to stay here, in my house." She finalized shooting Recca with a murderous glare.

"Well, yeah. I like it here more than a hotel. Besides, it's just the three of us. No biggie!" Recca added.

"Three?" Fuuko's glare suddenly turned sharper.

"No worries! I didn't bring Domon over, if that's what you're worried about. No one's going to ogle and woo you to death."

Another figure stepped up the front door, a much taller figure than the two who just came in.

"I'm sorry to be imposing on your generosity, Fuuko-san. But since father cannot trust Recca to go gallivanting elsewhere, I was forced to chaperone these two." Kurei said matter-of-factly all the while sending death glares of his own to Recca.

Fuuko smiled. "Come in. Maybe we can conspire against Recca for the duration of this vacation." She winked in a playful manner to which he replied with a nod.

"Is it too much, Fuuko? I can always check in a hotel." Kurei offered.

"No. If I could tolerate Recca, I certainly wouldn't mind having you over." She said to which the older Hanabishi smiled warmly.

-Message in a Bottle-

That afternoon, Kurei accompanied Fuuko on a stroll by the seashore while Ganko helped Yanagi and Recca unpack. Fuuko led the way towards a huge outcropping of rock that looked almost like a pier of sorts and definitely sturdy enough to hold a number of people. It was late in the afternoon and the sky's reflection was lucid over the deep blue sea. Fuuko removed her flip-flops, an action Kurei imitated. The waves caressed their ankles gently, almost sensuously. Fuuko nimbly made her way to the edge of the stone formation followed closely by Kurei. Pulling out a small green glass bottle from the back pocket of her denim shorts, Fuuko took one last lingering look at the object before hurling it out with all her might towards the sea. Pressing two of her fingers to her lips, she waved the thing goodbye. Kurei watched these proceedings earnestly.

"What was that?" he asked solemnly.

"My newest way of saying goodbye." She replied.

Those words were enough for Kurei to understand. "How are you, Fuuko? Tell me."

"Better, I suppose." She said with a small smile.

"I know you're tough. I know you'll pull through." Kurei placed a hand on her shoulder grasping it gently but firm.

The two stared out the horizon and stayed that way, contented with each other's company.

She's tough.

She'll pull through.

Kurei knew those statements were true. He had known her to be a strong woman since the first day Recca introduced them to one another. However, deep inside he knew Fuuko barely showed the true extent of her pain. She'll open up one day, like that one time when they first talked about these 2 weeks ago. Then, he'll be ready. He'll be there to help her let go of Raiha, just like her other friends.

As for now, all they could do was wait… Wait and hope.

A/N: That was a long one, much much longer than the first chapter. If truth be told, I am not as contented with this chapter as I was with the first. I tried looking into Fuuko and Ganko's relationship as sisters. I don't have a sister so I really can't say if the harmless bickering that transpired between the two appeared natural.

: I have the impression that nothing much happened in this chapter. In fact, a lot of what's written here was never really meant. It just sort of flowed continuously. I wrote this chapter to bridge chapter 1 to chapter 3. Yes, chapter 3 was conceptualized earlier than chapter 2. I'm just polishing it before posting.

:You guys might be wondering why Mi-chan isn't mentioned yet. As I have said, there are events that are conceptualized earlier than this. And I promise, you guys will see him soon, **very soon.**Kurei here seems very OOC to me. I have reasons but rest assured he'll show some of his darker colors in the coming chapters. For now, allow him to be sweet. I like the idea of a sweet Kurei.*winks*

:The last line "Wait and hope" is actually a line from the Count of Monte Cristo. I just thought it would fit well. Hehe. I am desperate for reviews. Tell me what you think.


	3. Chapter 3:Something Novel Comes My Way

A/N: I'm sorry for the very late update. My muse for this fic suddenly decided to take a sabbatical. Also, I was seduced by a more tempting muse (that of Other God). A treat for my readers, I've updated chapter3 of both MIAB and Other God.

Many thanks to the following:

To a friend of mine who wouldn't give me a codename to address this acknowledgment to. You know who you are. Thank you… for a lot of things and not just the constructive criticism.

To my readers, those who reviewed this fic, those who put this story on alert. I can not thank you enough. Enjoy reading.

Standard Disclaimer still applies

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Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Something Novel Comes My Way**

Life is a series of repetitive events designed to preoccupy the mind, offer little pleasure and a pathetic excuse to while away time before death.

To put it simply, life is a routine where variations are few and very far between.

In a quaint, rustic café named _Ambrosia _somewhere near the compounds of the famous Kumejima Eef Beach Resort, a man with long silver hair sat cross-legged in a booth farthest away from the rest. The distance, however, did not prevent a majority of the female customers of the café to steal a glance his way. Once or twice, there was one braver than the rest who would ask whether he'd like to have company which he politely declined.

Emptying the contents of his second cup of black coffee, Tokiya Mikagami closed the book he was reading and walked out of the café eliciting a few dreamy sighs along the way. The faster he could get away, the better before the more aggressive members of his expanding fan club decided to pounce on him. When will they finally understand that he didn't want their attention?

He pulled out the keys of the Porsche Carrera Cabriolet he rented from local distributors for the duration of his stay in Okinawa from his pocket and turned off the alarm he activated after parking the blue beauty. He was about to sit on the driver's seat when a voice called out to him.

"Tokiya-nii, there you are. I have been looking for you for the past 2 hours. Where have you been?" A young man hollered flashing a huge grin complete with fangs.

"Kauro, can you lower your voice? You weren't raised on top of a mountain to yell so much when talking to other people." Tokiya scowled as he turned his head towards Kauro.

"Gomen ne, Niichan. It's just that you were so hard to find. And I was hoping I could ask you something." The younger man said. There was a pregnant pause while Kauro thought of the best way to ask for a favor.

"Well, what is it? I haven't got all day. I especially don't appreciate my time being wasted." Tokiya spouted. The boy was really testing his patience.

"Ano… Can I borrow your car?" Kauro said hopefully.

"No!"

"Niichan, please consider."

"I don't have to because there is no way I'm letting you borrow my car." He replied.

"Demo, Tokiya-nii. Luxury cars are a good way to get women's attention. And there are a lot of women I'd like to get attention from. We're in a bikini haven for goodness' sake. Please, let me borrow your car." Kauro almost dropped to his knees but decided against it.

"That is the most childish, idiotic thing I've ever heard, not to mention obnoxious and pathetic. I sometimes wonder how we became relatives. This is not the first time I shuddered at the thought of us being cousins. If I were your father, I would have disowned you a long time ago." Tokiya growled.

"Wow! That was the longest speech I ever heard from you since we arrived." Kauro exclaimed while shaking his head in utter disbelief.

Tokiya was close to popping a vein. "Get in! I don't have time for petty ramblings from hormonal teenagers." He said shutting the door after easing himself on the driver's seat.

Kauro immediately seated himself and kept quiet while Tokiya revved the car out of the parking area.

"Where are we going anyway?" Kauro asked while they were cruising along the highway.

"Home."

"What? Wait a minute. Don't tell me you're going home because of _Ensui_." Kauro questioned.

Tokiya remained silent.

"I'm right, aren't I? Kauro said crossing his arms across his chest. "Really, Tokiya-niichan, I am starting to conclude that you're becoming obsessed."

"It's none of your business, gaki. Butt off." He replied curtly.

"But seriously, you're taking _Ensui _out again?" he asked curiously.

"Hai," was Tokiya's simple reply.

"Can I come along?" the fanged boy grinned sheepishly.

"No!" Tokiya said with finality thus, ending the conversation.

Upon arriving home, Tokiya quickly changed from his signature long-sleeved button-up shirts and slax and donned something more sea worthy. By that it meant a plain white shirt that hinted on a well-chiseled chest and black board shorts topped off with a deep blue anorak.

He ran a quick mental checklist on the things he had to bring when his visual fields focused on his work desk. There, beside his sleek black Vaio laptop were four small glass bottles of a deep green color.

The epistles that were previously housed in those bottles were neatly tucked in the pocket of his personal daily planner. He pulled out his planner from the drawer of his desk and looked at the agenda for the day:

_4pm:_

_ Get bottle no.5_

_-_Message in a Bottle-

**Tokiya's POV**

I never intended to make her part of my life but somehow I always find myself in the wheelhouse of the _Ensui _every afternoon, single handling it out following the familiar route around Kume Island just to fish from the sea a most curious bottle containing her messages. It had been a routine since I arrived in Okinawa. It was a matter of convenience really. The Mikagami family owns a lovely vacation house in these parts. Might as well make use of my inheritance. It was also very expedient that the house had its own deck where I could dock the _Ensui_, a beautiful white cabin cruiser I bought for myself as a gift after graduating from highschool. But I digress…

I'm on my way to retrieve the fifth letter from the elusive Windchild. To tell you the truth, I do not know who she is, nor if she's even female for that matter, but I have a hunch that this mysterious writer is a woman... Needless to say, I was interested from the very first letter. I even memorized the contents of her first epistle:

_I was a firm disbeliever of the age-old maxim 'Life is unfair' but I'd have to give credit to the guy who made that; he was right. Losing those that you care about most without knowing why is unjustifiable._

_And it hurts too much when you're left without a single word, not even a simple goodbye._

_-Windchild_

All her letters were encased in a beautiful green glass bottle. A part of me was thankful I decided to come to Okinawa. The Okinawa vacation house had always been my favorite amongst the Mikagami estates. Never mind the fact that the last time I was here was when I was nine. That was the last family vacation I had because the following year, my parents and sister died in a car accident. I was lucky to survive.

Now, I'm back, a treat for finishing medschool, after 17 faithful years since my feet last stepped on this land, wanting to recreate the most memorable vacation of my childhood life. And if all goes well, Windchild might just make this stay more memorable than the last.

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A/N: Finally, the third chapter and the introduction to Mi-chan. I'm trying to update this faster but my muse for this has to compete with my preparations for the Nursing Board Exam and the muse of _Other God_. But no worries, the plot is intact and small scenes for this fic make themselves conscious every single day. Sorry for the typo and grammatical errors. Please bear with me.

I'd love to hear reviews from you guys.


	4. Chapter 4: ReIntroduction

A/n: Okay. I just enabled anonymous reviews. Thanks to the heads up thepinkmartini. (I am such a newbie when it comes to these things). Hope readers of this fic are now encouraged to review. I'd love to hear from you.

I'm not abandoning any of my fics I'm just under a computer ban and this was done discreetly. It has been a long time. I miss writing.

Many thanks to **satomika**, **thepinkmartini** and **FukuWija**. I appreciate all your reviews.

Standard Disclaimer still applies

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Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Re-Introduction**

Late.

Fuuko Kirisawa was undeniably late. It should not have been a problem. She was on vacation, after all. But apparently, when you try to leave all the hurtful things behind, the rest of the world won't stop to give you a head start. Fuuko can't even walk out of her bedroom door. Not that she was unwilling; she just can't find her shoes.

"Ganko, do you know where I put my pumps? I can't seem to find them." She shouted loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

"Which one?" Ganko asked after poking her head through the bedroom door.

"The black ones from Nine West."

"I think you chucked them under your bed." Ganko chuckled.

Fuuko ducked to check under her bed and pulled out the pair she was looking for.

"Arigatou, imouto-san."

Fuuko dashed towards the front door and almost knocked over a still sleepy Recca.

"Leaving so early, Fuuko-chan?" He asked stifling a yawn.

"Let me prepare you breakfast first." Yanagi offered heading towards the kitchen.

"No, thank you. I'm already late. I'll probably eat out. Better yet, why don't I meet you guys for breakfast after meeting this client?" Fuuko suggested.

"Aren't you supposed to be on vacation?" Recca queried while dumping himself on the living room sofa.

"I am. It's just that my boss decided to take advantage of the fact that I'm here in Okinawa when a client who lives here had relevant information to pass on." She explained.

"Such a bane! Careful or you might end up like onii-chan who's such a workaholic. Look at the time and he's already off for business." Recca droned.

Fuuko shrugged and turned to Ganko. "You do remember mom and dad's favorite café, right? I'll meet you there. Keep your phone close at hand. I might call."

Fuuko looked at her wristwatch and let out a yelp. "See you later guys." She hollered as she exited through the front door running like Sadako was hot on her heels.

-Message in a Bottle-

It was fifteen minutes to nine in the morning when Fuuko arrived at _Ambrosia_. She was openly admiring the café that her parents pronounced as their favorite every single time they came for a vacation. It changed very little through the years that the sight of it was almost nostalgic, a subtle blending of various memories.

Her stomach grumbled reminding her she hadn't eaten yet. Knowing that her sister and friends weren't there yet, Fuuko proceeded to the counter to order coffee.

Upon receiving her drink, she allowed the aroma of the concoction she held to sweep her off her senses.

**Big mistake!**

She turned around and almost collided with someone, coffee mug and all.

It was a good thing that the stranger was fast and steadied her hand and herself before they made a mess. Thank the gods it was her lucky day else she would never be able to wear her favorite Chanel blouse again.

"Will you try to be more careful, miss?" A deep voice berated. "Luckily, I have fast reflexes. You would've ruined my shirt and this happens to be…"

"Armani." Fuuko cut in. "I know Armani when I see one."

Fuuko put down her mug on the counter before focusing her attention on the stranger. She wanted to defend herself but she was rendered speechless when her eyes focused on the stranger's face. It wasn't because he was impeccably dressed. Neither was it because he was undeniably gorgeous; but because he was awfully familiar. And he was sporting the same look of recognition.

"Kirisawa?" He tentatively asked.

Fuuko had to widen her eyes and cover her gaping mouth with one hand before composing herself to answer, "It can't be. Mi-chan, is that you?"

"I can't believe it. After seventeen years you're still calling me that." Tokiya said annoyed.

"Force of habit. You forget it's the only name I ever called you when we were kids." She said picking up her mug as he steered her towards a booth.

After helping her sit down, he sat across the table and signaled for a server. Fuuko was silently appraising her childhood friend as he was relaying his orders.

She was eight and he was nine when they first met, coincidentally, here in Okinawa. Both their families were on vacation. His family already owned an estate while her parents were considering buying a vacation house. In fact, it was his parents who suggested the vacation house they now owned and where she was currently staying at to her parents. The two families became good friends despite the short time they spent together.

She hid a smile while she was sipping coffee. Where was this Adonis-like man hiding the little boy she knew?

"Stop ogling, Kirisawa. It's creepy." Tokiya said with a smirk when the server left.

"I am not ogling at you. I'm… assessing." Fuuko can't help but stick her tongue out. Nothing could probably change the relative ease she felt with him.

"It's synonymous." He said raising an eyebrow.

"No, assessing is scientific, objective. Ogling is for dolts." She said then she pressed a finger to pursed lips.

"Will you stop acting like a petulant child. It's…" The first word that came into his mind was _endearing _but he opted to use another word. "…embarrassing."

Fuuko frowned and Tokiya wanted to hit himself for making her so but being cold and uncaring had been ingrained in his head for sixteen years that changing habits were hardly possible.

"Gomen ne, Mi-chan. I'm just happy to see you." She flashed him a genuine smile.

Who knew that no matter how cold or distant he had become, there were still moments that were so powerful it brought out the little boy in him? He just had to smile at her sincerity, sort of smile at least. It was more like a lop-sided grin but its effect was not diminished as evidenced by the swooning heard from the neighboring tables.

Tokiya had to admit, she was admirable. She didn't seem the least affected. She just smiled wider.

Here was a girl who was different from the rest, he thought.

Yes, he was happy to see her too. To him, she was a symbol of all things beautiful, a living proof that, once upon a time, he had a life that was surrounded by loved ones. He also couldn't help but hate her. She reminded him of the things he could no longer have.

The server arrived with his orders and left immediately.

"I hope you like bagels because I ordered for you. I'm not comfortable eating with someone watching me across the table. I'd rather you eat too." He said. "My treat." He added.

When he turned to look at Fuuko, he saw her scowling.

"One more murderous glare from those bimbos behind you and I swear, I'm going to shave their fake blonde heads." She snapped.

Tokiya smirked. "Don't mind them. They're just jealous. They've been waiting for the opportunity to sit where you are now all week. And there you are. Technically, I was the one who seated you there. You should feel honored."

Fuuko looked at him like he grew another head. "You narcissist! What have you done to my Mi-chan?"

Tokiya didn't miss the _my_ before the_ Mi-chan_. He decided to humor her instead of skinning her alive. Besides, it was very rare after all, that someone became close enough to him to call him their own.

"I am still your Mi-chan, monkey."

"You better be." She quipped. "Hey, you're calling me monkey again."

-Message in a Bottle-

Tokiya was finishing his third cup of coffee. He never would've stayed half as long if her enthusiasm wasn't so infectious. Although he didn't laugh as loud as she did or act as though he enjoyed her company, he really had fun with her.

Fuuko didn't have to do a monologue like she initially thought she would. Tokiya was actually exerting effort in their conversation even though majority of what he said were snide remarks and the bulk of their dialogue was more argument than actual talk. She deduced from the moment they bumped into each other that he wasn't a _people person_. She had an idea why he turned out to be like that. She was a Psychologist for crying out loud. If her profession taught her anything, it was that people had reasons for acting a certain way.

He had lost his family. She knew that. It was all over the news some 16 years ago when a drunk truck driver rammed their car and exterminated the prominent Mikagami family with the exception of the man in front of her, the boy who lived. Dang, she had to slow down on those _Harry Potter_ books.

It was the reason why she avoided any mentions of family but Fuuko being Fuuko, she was bound to slip.

"Imagine my horror when my boss said that I'll be taking over the Guidance and Counseling department of the Law firm. Listening to lawyers rant on their cases is bad enough, listening to the problems of their sex life is like hell."

He snickered. "You should try listening to doctors." He vaguely thought of the post-op sessions he and a few classmates shared in Medschool.

"If I knew half the questions my clients would ask me, I would have never taken up Psych. Would you believe that Keisuke-niichan asked me what he was supposed to expect during his honeymoon?" Fuuko cackled.

"Keisuke is married?"

Fuuko suddenly focused on Tokiya. Though the manner in which he asked the question belied no emotion, she knew she hit a sensitive spot.

It was Mifuyu's secret, a secret she shared with Tokiya and her. Tokiya's elder sister had a crush on her elder brother when they were still young, the last crush she probably had.

She immediately reached for his hand before he hid it under the table.

"I'm sorry." She said softly giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Don't be. It's alright."

At that time, Kurei entered the double doors of the café. His eyes flitted from one face to another searching for the telltale purple. He found her sitting on one of the more private booths at back holding hands with a man he never met before. In quick strides, he headed towards their table.

"Fuuko-chan." He called.

"Kurei-kun, I was starting to think you guys ditched me." Fuuko joshed fully turning towards him.

"Gomen, Fuuko. Ganko, Recca and Yanagi found this Italian restaurant that served frittatas for breakfast. They couldn't wait for you so they went ahead and asked me to accompany you. I would've come earlier but…" Kurei started to explain.

"Business calls. It's no biggie. I understand." Fuuko cut in.

Kurei coughed as if to clear his throat but his eyes were intently on the hands on the table.

Fuuko and Tokiya realized this and retracted their hands as though they were electrocuted. Fuuko hid her embarrassment by the thing she did best, talking.

"Kurei, this is Tokiya Mikagami, an old friend of mine." She uttered then turning to Tokiya said, "Mi-chan, this is Kurei Hanabishi."

The two men shook hands and exchanged a few pleasantries.

"Mikagami-san, you must be the business tycoon, Meguri Kyoza's, grandson." Kurei interjected.

"Yes, I am. Your name is familiar although I can't place it." Tokiya said.

"You probably know me as Mori Kurei."

"Ah, yes. Mori Kouran's adopted son."

"He's actually my uncle, my late mother's older brother." Kurei added.

"I see." Tokiya turned to Fuuko and continued, "I'd like to stay and exchange more pleasantries, Kirisawa, but I have other engagements. It was nice seeing you again."

He stood up and extended a hand to shake but Fuuko didn't take it. Instead, she hugged him.

"It was nice seeing you too. I hope this won't be the last I'll hear of you." She said almost pleadingly.

"Of course, monkey." He hugged her back for the briefest time.

"Hey, none of your monkey jokes in front of my other friends." He winced after she slapped his arm.

He narrowed his eyes then sported another lop-sided grin.

"I don't normally do this but… would you mind giving me your number?" He asked.

"Is that a pick-up line?" She teased.

"Kirisawa!"

She handed him a calling card she took from her purse. "I placed my personal mobile number on the back. Don't disappoint me."

She blew him a kiss to which he glared but then smiled slightly. He waved a hand as he turned and walked away unaware of the sharp glares a certain raven-haired man was sending him.

TBC

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A/N: Well, you know I'm going to expect reviews right. If you have questions, feel free to ask. Reminder: this is AU so some facts (a lot of them actually) changed. I'll explain some in the succeeding chapters. Thank you for reading.

This was not proof-read and I have no beta. Please do inform me if my writing is unintelligible. I try to correct them the best I can.


	5. Chapter 5: Assuming too Much

A/N: What could I say? I was glad no one expected Mi-chan and Fuuko to be childhood friends. Although, I did drop hints in the previous chapters regarding the possibility. I sure do love surprise, don't you?

My sincerest thanks to the following:

**thepinkmartini** – oh yes, they know each other. Just wait and find out what they know about each other although, much of their remote past won't be revealed until later in the story.

**EiRist**: I enjoy reading your reviews. I want to apologize because I really can't update faster. I know what it feels like to be left hanging but after the board exams, I'll be free to do this. By the way, thanks for wishing me luck. *winks*

**FukuWija**: Ya know, I'm not sure if I enjoy seeing Kurei jealous or if I should cower in fear. Lolz. About Recca, I think I'm reading his character all wrong. Even though he's the main protagonist of FoR, I am absolutely clueless when it comes to characterizing him, a consequence of not paying attention to him in the anime and the manga. Thank you for the notice. It helps me understand my characters better.

**Satomika**: Like you, I also love the TokiyaxFuukoxKurei triangle. It's not that I have anything against Raiha or Domon or anyone else who's been linked to Fuuko; it's just that I worship ToFuu and while Raiha is great and all that amongst the canon pairings for Fuuko, I find his character rather flat.. Kurei is much more interesting and, in my eyes, more good looking than Raiha. And I really can't see Raiha competing against Mi-chan for the affections of Fuuko. It's a landslide victory, if you ask me. Kurei, however, is at par with our silver-headed boy wonder.

**aki reinhart**: I never knew there were many KFT fans… Thank you for your support and for adding me in your favorite authors section. Mwahuggles..

Reminder: This is an AU fic… There aren't any madougus in this fic, no mention whatsoever of ninjas etc… you get the picture…

On to the fic..

Standard Disclaimer applies

* * *

Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Assuming too Much**

There are just some people that you can't help but like the moment you meet them, the same way you can't help but hate others for no reason at all. These innate instincts can greatly affect the forging of relationships.

Kirisawa Fuuko was the type of person who can easily pull people towards her like a magnet attracting iron filings. Although, whether she pulls in friends or enemies was, at times, questionable. Kurei thought.

He led her towards the parking lot not long after her 'friend' left. He truly did not expect her to be acquainted with the estranged Mikagami Tokiya. He had never met the man personally despite the various socialite parties his aunt, Tsukino Mori, dragged him to wherein the said Mikagami heir attended as well. Regardless, news flies fast and when you're a bachelor with a couple of millions in your bank account, paparazzis often choose you as a favorite. Kami knows how Kurei tries his best to avoid any scenario that would land him front page.

Mikagami is a secretive man, that he was told. Kurei would never trust a guy like that to be left alone with his sister, if he had one. Since Fuuko was the closest he had to an imouto, he wouldn't want him near her. Heck, he wouldn't want any man near her, period.

He absent-mindedly pulled out his car keys and deactivated the alarm of the car.

"Whoa! Where'd you get that?" Fuuko bellowed while pointing at a black Audi A4.

"I loaned it. I can't possibly run around Okinawa on foot. At least now, we can use something while we're here." Kurei said as he ran a hand along the hood of the car.

"We?" Fuuko had this mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Hai, Fuuko-san. You can ride with me anytime." He said facing her and casually leaning against the passenger's side.

"Can't I drive?" She asked sheepishly.

"No, not today." He replied.

And that was it. When Kurei says no, it means no; and even though he always made provisions for her, she always knew when to be pushy and when to acquiesce. She had to admit, the older man was quite intimidating.

He opened the door of the passenger's side and motioned for her to get in. Kurei was one of those men who treated her like a real lady, discounting the lecherous ways most men do. In a few seconds, he was behind the wheel. In a few more minutes they were on the road.

"Recca is so lucky to have you as a brother." Fuuko uttered fidgeting with the glove compartment.

"Recca is an imbecile." Kurei said this like it was gospel.

Fuuko vaguely wondered how a man like Kurei could be related to a man like Recca. The only thing they shared in common is their hair color. Fuuko heard the sob-story two minutes after she met Kurei told to her by a not-so-sober Recca. She was sixteen when that happened during Uncle Ouka's birthday. She had pestered Recca to tell her the tale because not in the ten years they've known each other did he ever mention that he had an older brother.

Apparently, they shared the same father but were born to different mothers. According to Recca, his father had a wife who died giving birth to a son. Reina, Kurei's mother, happened to be the _unica hija_ of the prestigious Mori family. Uncle Ouka stayed with the Mori's for two years after his first wife's death.

Despite the fact that the Mori's were literally rolling in money, Ouka decided to become independent of his wife's family. He was never the type who was comfortable within the elite circles his wife grew up in. The Mori family consented with the one condition that they would be in charge of Kurei's upbringing. Since Mori Kouran, Reina's older brother, and his wife can not have children of their own, he offered to adopt Kurei.

Ouka was torn between his attempt at freedom and his love for his son. Although Kouran assured him that he was free to visit Kurei anytime he wanted, living under different roofs was still not the same. It was in the middle of this predicament that Ouka met Kagerou, Recca's mother. She was the daughter of a small-time fireworks factory owner, the very same factory Ouka was planning to buy. It was the proverbial 'love at first sight' meeting.

It was then that Ouka decided it was time to go. He was still Kurei's father no matter what happened and he did promise his son that he'll always visit despite the fact that the young Kurei would hardly understand what his father meant at that time. Ouka tried his best to convince himself that he was giving Kurei a bright future by leaving him with his uncle and aunt. From then on, Kurei was legally known as Mori.

One year after that, Ouka married Kagerou. And the year after, Recca was born. The half-brothers hardly had time together for many years until that one birthday party when he met the gang. Sometimes, Fuuko felt as though Kurei was more brotherly towards her than he was with Recca, not that she minded. She actually enjoyed playing as little sister to Kurei. And despite his reserved mein, she knew he adored her too.

"You do know that if you ever disown Recca as your brother, you can always have me as your sister." Fuuko joshed impishly.

"You already have a brother. Why do you want to be my sister?" He asked without diverting his attention from driving.

From the corner of his eye, Kurei could see the wide smile Fuuko was flashing his way. "Recca can have Kei-nii. He is so not like you. I like you."

Kurei choked from shock which he expertly disguised as a cough. She had a knack of saying the most unexpected things.

Fuuko giggled and focused her mischievous eyes on him.

"I like you too." He reached out one hand to playfully wipe the smug look on her face. "Why don't we ditch Recca, Yanagi and Ganko and find ourselves a nice restaurant for lunch? My treat."

Fuuko smiled wider. "You see. You're a lot better than Kei-niichan. That's why I want you."

Kurei shook his head in amusement trying to dispel the funny feelings she were eliciting.

-Message in a Bottle-

It was a given fact that Okinawa was a tourist destination. That is why many stores double as souvenir shops. Ganko had been frequenting one of them, a bookstore-slash-souvenir shop not far from their residential area.

She wasn't there for the souvenirs nor for the books. She visited the shop so she could buy those pretty green bottles Fuuko were using. That afternoon, she dragged Yanagi along with her.

Ganko proceeded to the rack at the far end of the shop opposite the line of bookshelves and checked out various bottles of different sizes and colors. Yanagi padded behind her wondering why she was headed away from the more popular souvenirs.

"What are those for, Ganko? I'd doubt they'd make good souvenirs but they're cute" Yanagi stated before picking up one red bottle.

"I'm not looking for souvenirs. I spend at least a month here every year. I'm practically a native, sort of."

"Then why are you buying them?" Yanagi pressed further.

"For Fuuko-neechan. You see, I convinced her to write little notes she could put in the bottles then throw them out to sea." She said facing the brunette.

"That is so symbolic." Yanagi beamed.

"It's not entirely my idea. I remember this old movie I watched with mom. One of the actors said, 'Throw your problems out to sea and the answers will wash back up on shore.'"

Yanagi suddenly looked thoughtful. She cared for Fuuko deeply. She was not only her best friend; she was the sister she never had. And sisters help each other, specially during heartaches.

"I hope she gets better soon."

"I hope so too, Yanagi-nee."

Yanagi returned the red bottle and absent-mindedly picked up a pink one. "Hey, let's get these."

"We can't buy those." Ganko countered.

"Why not?"

Ganko sighed and took the pink bottle and placed it back on the rack. "This **is** Fuuko-nee we're talking about."

Yanagi's mouth turned into an 'O' after being reminded how Fuuko detested anything that comes close to the color pink. In fact, the only clothing that she willingly wore in that shade was their high school uniform. Yep! Those were the days.

Yanagi could still remember what they were like when they were teenagers. Of course, they weren't teenagers for a long while now but even so, the friendship they had never changed. If it did, it only got stronger. That's why they were all determined to help her through her heartache.

Yanagi's daydreaming was broken by the tinkling of the chimes upon the door. She resumed her attention on Ganko who was busy checking the bottles for defects. So occupied were they that they did not notice a tall, long-haired bishounen approaching the line of bookshelves close to where they were.

"Do you think Fuuko-nee is home already?" Ganko suddenly queried.

"I hope not." Yanagi quickly replied.

"Why's that?"

"Ganko-chan, she's with Kurei." She said as though the younger girl was missing something crucial.

"I know that and Kurei-nii is the responsible type. That is why I was wondering why they weren't home yet before we left home. It's way past lunch time already."

They started for the cashier with the three bottles they intended to buy.

"Geez, I suppose it runs in your family." Ganko's eyebrows rose upon hearing this from Yanagi. "Ganko, a man and a woman don't go out on their own and spend more than an hour for lunch just because."

Ganko's eyes immediately widened. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"No but I'm hoping."

"I'm finding that hard to believe." Ganko lowered the bottles on the counter.

"When we first met Kurei-kun, I suspected he was already interested in your sister. You see, Recca told me that Kurei's visitations became more frequent after he met the gang. And we all know he's closest to Fuuko."

"But he's the one who introduced her to Raiha." Ganko wrinkled her nose.

She never really liked her sister's recent boyfriend. There was something terribly off with him like the way he smiles… all the freakin' time.

"I may be wrong though." Yanagi shrugged.

Ganko was fishing bills out of her purse when Yanagi beat her to it by slapping her credit card on the counter.

"If Kurei-nii is definitely making a move on my sister, we should ask him for a refund on these." Ganko joked to which both ladies laughed.

They were still giggling when they left the shop not knowing that a pair of icy blue eyes followed them, intent on the package of green glass bottles they were well acquainted with.

-TBC-

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A/N: You know I'm notorious for not proof-reading so pardon any typos and grammatical errors. I really don't have the patience to stare at a computer for extended periods.

The movie Ganko referred to is an 80's movie entitled _Brighton Beach Memoirs_ which was adapted from a play of the same title by Neil Simon.

I don't know why I wrote that scene between Kurei and Fuuko. It was not included when I planned this chapter. Most of what is supposed to be here was moved to the next chapter.

If descriptions of Kurei's relationship seems too contradictory, blame it on the author (which happens to be me. Sorry) who can't decide whether Kurei will turn into a suitor or remain a big brother figure and although it's quite obvious what option was chosen while planning for this fic, I might change my mind. (which is quite unlikely as I like his current role)

Mi-chan on the other hand, is still drawn towards Windchild. Why? It was supposed to be in this chapter but I can't fit it anymore so, it was pushed to the next chapter.

We all know who's writing the letters. And he's determined to collect them. Will Tokiya's little discovery lead him to Windchild?

This and more next chapter.

Give me some love and hit that review button. And if it's not too much, please pray for me on my upcoming board exams.

Love,

Anne Raven


	6. Chapter 6:Misguided Thoughts

A/N: I know I update MIAB very slowly compared to Other God. Please do bear with me. For the readers of Sodales, I know I said I won't be updating that until I finish either 'Other God' or this but I'm updating within the week so watch out. Muses are fickle-minded creatures and when they decide to work, I think it's wise not to ignore. It's a miracle I don't get confused writing all stories simultaneously. Anyways…

Acknowledgements: Thank you guys for the reviews. It absolutely makes me smile every time I read one.

To **satomika, thepinkmartini, aki reinhart** and **EiRist**. This fic is and will always be for you.

Standard Disclaimers still apply.

* * *

Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Misguided Thoughts**

_This pain is too real that it consumes me. Too much that not even time can erase the mark it burned into my soul. Until now…_

_You still have all of me._

_-Windchild_

"I swear to God, I'll do everything in my power to meet her."

Sometimes, he wonders why he was so drawn to Windchild. Was Kauro right in assuming that he was obsessed with her?

All Tokiya knew was that he understood her. He knows what it feels like to be in the same kind of pain. He knew what she was going through. And as he reread Windchild's letters, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her… and for himself. No one deserves that kind of pain. If there was any way that he could help her get through this, he would. Then, maybe he'd be able to help himself get over his own pain.

He picked up the latest of Windchild's glass bottles lying dormant on his desk and he reclined further in his swivel chair as he examined it. He lifted it up so that it caught the light of the moon filtering through his open window.

It was the very same one…

He almost went into cardiac arrest when he entered that bookshop that afternoon. He wanted to buy a book since the one he was reading the other day is somewhere in the depths of the Porsche's glove compartment its last page turned and digested by his voracious mind.

He did not dare dream of the day that he would see a woman who looked exactly like his Mifuyu-nee but there she was near the bookshelves poring over souvenirs with a younger blonde.

He proceeded to the bookshelf nearest the duo with the intention of getting a closer look at her. Imagine his shock when he saw the blonde girl holding green glass bottles… Windchild's green glass bottles.

"Do you think Fuuko-nee is home already?" He heard the younger girl ask.

What chances were there that they were talking about his Kirisawa Fuuko? He ran a quick head-to-toe appraisal of the blonde and he realized she looked familiar.

"Ganko-chan, she's with Kurei." His sister's look-alike said.

So, he thought, that's why the young girl looked familiar. He knew Fuuko had a younger sister named Ganko. She was only two when he last saw her but she did share the same blue eyes like Fuuko's. Besides, the shop was near their residential area so the probability was high.

He discreetly watched as the two ladies walked towards the counter. He could no longer hear them but he could still observe.

He initially suspected Ganko Kirisawa was Windchild. After all, she was the one who took the bottles but when Mifuyu's doppelganger took out her credit card and paid for them, he had to consider her as a candidate as well.

As he watched the two ladies walk out of the shop with his eyes intent on the package of bottles, he could not be anything but elated. Indeed, he was thrilled with the prospect of finding out who among these two women was Windchild. He suddenly realized that meeting Fuuko again was a blessing in disguise.

-Message in a Bottle-

The early morning sea breeze always cleared her thoughts and calmed her agitated state of emotions. And as she signed the name Windchild on the note for today, Fuuko smiled. She never thought she'd enjoy writing. Maybe she should consider a career in journalism.

She chuckled softly. Sometimes, even Psychologists need therapy. She was lucky to have friends and family who supported her whole-heartedly. What would she do without them? They provided the respite she needed that even for a meager amount of time, she completely forgot **him**.

But the pain was still there, dull, recurring, gnawing- something she knew they would never understand. So when her mobile phone rang some time midmorning and her caller ID flashed an unknown number, she struggled hard to stop her hands from shaking.

She fervently hoped against all hopes that it was Raiha calling her. But, who was she kidding? She knew he was in America. The local country codes were taunting her and almost chanted in her ears, 'Not a chance! Not a chance!'.

When she picked up and heard the deep cool voice on the other line, she smiled widely. What a wonderful surprise!

"Mi-chan..."

Fuuko did not expect he would call so soon. Well, what do you know? Some wishes do come true.

"Kirisawa, I know this is a little sudden but would you like to get together some time later today?" He asked straight to the point.

"Huh…" she stammered hoping he did not catch her briefly zoning out. "I mean… sure… Why not? I'd love to."

"Good. Would you mind if I lug my cousin, Kauro, along. He's been bothering me incessantly. I'm finding it hard to resist the urge to dump him in the sea." He said.

Fuuko snickered. She could clearly imagine the various creases on his otherwise gorgeous face. "If it would wipe away those lines I'm sure are on your face at this moment, I wouldn't mind. Why don't you guys come over later this evening? A few friends and I are having a bonfire near the house. I'll be expecting you."

"Kirisawa.." He uttered tentatively. "Is there anything wrong? You seem distracted earlier."

Damn! He caught her.

"It's nothing, Mi-chan. I'll see you later. Ja!" She said quickly and the moment he bid goodbye she ended the call.

She should learn to be more careful when dealing with one of the most observant people she knew. But for now, she had to convince her housemates that they were having that bonfire later.

-Message in a Bottle-

Tokiya arrived at the Kirisawa Residence at exactly seven in the evening. He parked the Carrera along the curb when he saw an Audi stationed at the Kirisawa driveway. There was a black-haired man wearing a backwards baseball cap leaning on the front door and by the way he was gazing forlornly at the Audi, he assumed it wasn't his. He heard the end of a wolf-whistle the moment he stepped out of the Porsche while Kauro was busy unloading the boxes o pizza they decided to bring.

"Nice car, man. You must be Mikagami." The unknown man said as he thrust a hand forward in a gesture of a handshake. "The name's Hanabishi Recca. Fuuko's busy tending the bonfire."

"I see." He curtly replied while shaking hands with Recca. "What's taking you so long, Kauro?" He asked as he turned towards his cousin.

"Chill, Tokiya-nii! These aren't exactly light." Kauro yelled over the pile of boxes of pizza he carried.

"Cool! You brought chow. Not that we don't have any. Ganko and my Hime are making us some wicked barbeques." Recca said as he helped Kauro carry the pizza as though he'd been acquainted with them for more than the actual five minutes.

Tokiya raised an eyebrow. Why does he have the impression that he wouldn't be as chummy towards this… this… sea monkey?

"Do you mind if I go ahead? I know the place well anyway." Tokiya said as he left not waiting for a reply.

He wasn't being arrogant. It was true he knew the place well. In fact, he knew that the wall-sized window with the thick green curtains at the back of the house was the window to Fuuko's room. Beneath that was the veranda and if he wanted to, he could climb the trellis and enter her room without anyone else knowing. Not that he would but he did it once when he was younger.

The back of the house was facing the beach and it wouldn't take you five minutes to walk there from here, not even three if you're running like an overexcited kid, as told by experience. He easily spotted the bonfire and made his way across the beach. He saw Ganko and his sister's passable twin slaving over pork cuts on the grill.

He was about to approach them when he saw Fuuko coming in from a walk on the beach waving a stick on one hand with Mori carrying a bundle of driftwood, a wide smile on his face as she animatedly chatted.

He was silently praying that she would notice him but as she sat near the bonfire and threw in the stick she was holding, she still did not see him. On the other hand, he was free to observe her.

Her face glowed from the light of the fire flushed from the exercise. It wasn't nice that he was having a few naughty thoughts regarding the woman. What red-blooded man wouldn't ?

Her apparel wasn't helping either. Her green tank top didn't bother covering the straps of her white bikini and he was willing to bet that her denim shorts was as long as his handspan. She kept the zipper closed but the button was popped open. And her crocheted poncho wasn't covering anything up.

Damn provocative woman!

He never thought that the skinny little girl he knew would grow up to be very voluptuous. As if hearing his thoughts, she suddenly looked up and saw him.

"Mi-chan, over here." She shouted waving at him and patted the space beside her.

Fuuko introduced him to her friends with much pomp and ceremony. He didn't catch half of what she was saying because he was distracted by her arm wound around his. She had always been touchy even when they were younger but now that they were grown and she grew up very well-proportioned, it was hard to concentrate with her pressing herself to him intimately.

He discovered that the woman who looked like Mifuyu was named Yanagi and that she was engaged to the one named Recca. When he tensed the moment Fuuko introduced him to her, she gripped his arm tighter and smiled at him reassuringly. She playfully tugged at his sideburn and motioned for him to lower his head and whispered.

"I know Yanagi-chan looks a lot like Mifuyu-nee. If it gets too uncomfortable, just tell me."

Then, he whispered in her ear, "I'm fine. I know you wouldn't subject me to a kind of torture I can't handle." He said teasingly to which she pinched his cheek and he glared at her.

He was currently sitting beside her. Occasionally, she would lean against him and he would place a hand at the small of her back. He would've lapsed into a playful banter if Kurei, who was sitting on her other side, wasn't claiming her attention once in a while.

Ganko was smiling widely. She stole a peek at Yanagi who winked back at her. The two girls were discreetly watching the trio near the bonfire. Despite Kauro's engaging banter, Ganko couldn't help but look at them once in a while. There were two extremely good-looking men vying for her sister's attention and she just had to feel giggly about that.

Tokiya was starting to get pissed. He wanted this get together because he wanted to discover which between Ganko and Yanagi was Windchild. But Yanagi hardly leaves Recca's side and Ganko was claimed by his treacherous cousin.

Here he was stuck with Fuuko who was, in one way or another, openly flirting with Kurei. What surprised him is why he was feeling like a cat whose cream was stolen by another cat. Was he actually jealous? Can anyone blame him? He was used to hogging her attention to himself when they were younger.

He was silently praying that a miracle would happen and that miracle came in the form of one Recca Hanabishi.

"Yo, Mikagami!" Recca said as he approached. "Would you like to have a drink with me? I would have invited aniki here but beer isn't exactly his thing."

Beer wasn't his thing either but it would be a good excuse to quit Fuuko and Kurei's company. And after patting her back and she sat straight after leaning against him, he stood up and followed Recca.

"You're on Hanabishi."

After receiving his first can of beer, he glanced a look at Fuuko and saw her smiling warmly… at Kurei.

He opened the can and emptied half the contents in one swig.

-TBC-

* * *

A/N: Haha… I love that… By the way, Windchild's opening letter was inspired by Evanescence's _My Immortal._

I know Mi-chan is kind of slow regarding his assumptions about Windchild. Let's call that 'jumping into conclusions'. I think he's also subject to that. But if you think it's very OOC for him to do so please tell me.

This was in no way proof-read… blah blah blah.. yeah dang I'm lazy. Gomen… But I do hope you guys like this. Please review. Mwahuggles…

Yours,

Anne Raven


	7. Chapter 7:Reasons and More Reasons

A/N: so I promised to update this a few days after updating Other God. Even if the site is screwed… anyways…

Many thanks to the following:

**Thepinkmartini:** there's more where that came from… more KFT's in this chapter…

**Shirayuki Sayura**: when it comes to fuuko's relationship with kurei, yes, mi-chan will be very jealous. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Eirist-chan**: I know there should be a better reason why mi-chan was slow in realizing that fuuko is windchild but other than I don't want him to know yet and that the perfect little scene is in my head, really, I've got nothing.

**Satomika-chan:** pati ako kinikilig… ahehehe.. enjoy.

**Aki-chan**: More of the KFT moments. Hope you like this.

**Fukuwija**: Tokiya's slowness will be accounted for some time in the succeeding chapters. I hope all of you guys forgive me for makinghim slow but the scene where he finds out who windchild really is, is haunting me. That's why he can't find out yet.

**Suryasree**: I hope you continue to enjoy my work.

This chapter is for you guys.

Standard Disclaimer still applies

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Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Reasons and More Reasons**

Thud…

Thud…

Thud… goes the incessant pounding.

Tokiya could almost feel the pounding of his blood towards his head which was already experiencing an early hangover.

He was fighting the urge to throw up as the car lurched to a stop. He was thankful that a soothing scent of jasmine suddenly anchored his unstable senses; coincidentally, at the same time that Fuuko hoisted him up from the passenger's seat by placing herself under his arm.

"What?" Fuuko asked as she looked up at him.

Tokiya groaned as he realized he was staring at her. The alcohol was doing a good job of dulling his consciousness.

"That's what you get for accepting Recca's challenges." She chided while seating him on the edge of his bed.

He hardly realized that they were in his room already.

"How was I suppose to know that you could probably infuse alcohol in his system and he'd most likely remain sober?" He questioned irately.

"You should've asked me." She answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You were busy." He replied.

"Regardless, you know I'll always have time for you. You're my Mi-chan." The last sentence was apparently said with much fondness.

Tokiya groaned again at the mention of the nickname. He lay on the bed and pulled a pillow to cover his face with.

"Seriously, are you sleeping like that?" Fuuko crossed her arms. "You smell like alcohol. I'm not undermining the Mikagami genes but at the moment, you look like crap. Go clean up before you sleep, please." She requested.

"You are not my mother." Tokiya replied as he threw the pillow at her.

Fuuko caught the pillow before it hit her face and glared at him. "If you won't get your inebriated arse in the bathroom at this instant, I swear I'll drag you there and bathe you." She threatened.

Tokiya grudgingly stood and towered over her. "You'd love that, won't you?"

He turned and took out a fresh towel from the closet with a set of nightclothes then, proceeded to the bathroom muttering complaints to a purple-headed dominatrix.

-Message in a Bottle-

"Mi-chan, are you still alive in there?" Fuuko hollered knocking impatiently on his bathroom door. "If you don't come out in three, I'll bust the door down and you know I'm capable of it. One… Two…" She started counting.

The bathroom door opened to reveal a scowling Mikagami with the towel draped around his shoulders shielding them from his still damp hair.

"See. Don't you feel better?" She smiled sweetly.

Tokiya walked pass her and sat on his bed as he continued to dry his hair. Yes, she was right. Clad in a comfortable sleeveless undershirt and cotton pajama pants, he really did feel better.

Fuuko sat beside him on the bed and pried his hands off the towel and took over. She was drying his hair for him, massaging his scalp once in a while. Tokiya sighed in contentment.

"You like that, don't you?" She asked impishly.

He snorted. "This is new. I used to be the one who took care of you. Not the other way around."

"I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to take care of me." She said offhandedly.

Discreetly looking at her, he had to agree. She was not a kid anymore.

"Well, you're doing a good job so far." He unexpectedly said.

"Excuse me?" Fuuko asked.

He grabbed her hands letting the towel fall on the bed and willed her to pay attention to him and not his hair.

"I said you're doing a good job of taking care of me." He repeated.

Fuuko slightly blushed then smiled. "You're welcome."

She took the towel again and finished drying his hair.

"Don't let it get to your head, monkey. It's the alcohol talking." He added.

She giggled and folded the towel before putting it in the hamper at the corner and stood in front of him with hands akimbo.

"You can sleep now." She said in a singsong voice.

"Finally." Tokiya groaned again as he dropped himself on bed which proved to be a huge mistake because the sudden movement made his head throb. "Damn it!" He cursed lowly.

"Next time, I won't let Recca come near you." Fuuko said looking very much concerned. "Go to sleep. Hopefully, you'll feel better tomorrow."

"Hmm…" was the only reply he managed to give her while he closed his eyes.

"By the way, Kauro's staying over at my place for the night. We're coming back early tomorrow." She added.

"You can keep him." He deadpanned.

She laughed and he found himself smiling. Fuuko shook her head and tucked him in bed.

"I think I'm enjoying this taking care of you business. You're amusing." She teased.

"Hmm…" again was his answer.

"I'll tell Nakajima-san to expect me and Kaoru early, okay." She thought it wise to inform the housekeeper/caretaker since Tokiya won't be able to do that himself. "Goodnight, Mi-chan. I'll see you in the morning."

Fuuko leaned in to push away his bangs and kiss his forehead. Tokiya opened one eye and looked at her.

"You baby me too much, Kirisawa." He uttered closing his eyes again.

"I wonder what you'll be like when the alcohol is finally out of your system." Fuuko thought out loud as she proceeded outside.

Tokiya smiled again. In his alcohol-induced stupor, he failed to realize that he was overly nice to her.

"Sweet dreams… Fuuko." She heard him say as she closed the door, wondering what just happened while she was in his room.

-Message in a Bottle-

Tokiya woke up in the morning craving for coffee. He hoped to find Nakajima-san or his wife in the kitchen with breakfast ready to be served. But what greeted him was the sour face of his cousin who was sitting by the kitchen counter.

"I hate you." Kauro muttered.

Tokiya chose to ignore his cousin but Kauro was determined not to be ignored.

"You gave her your car keys while you never let me near the steering wheel." Kauro seethed.

"What are you saying?" He asked the younger man.

"He's angry at you because you let me drive the Porsche." Fuuko answered as she stepped in from nowhere holding a steaming mug which smelled strongly of coffee. "Here I made this for you." She said handing the mug to him.

She pulled out his car keys from the back pocket of her white shorts and dangled it in front of him which Tokiya grabbed as he sipped the coffee she gave him.

Not bad… he thought. A little sweeter than he preferred but not bad.

"What do you boys have in mind to do today?" She asked.

"Nothing really." Tokiya answered.

Kauro looked frantic and managed to squeak out, "I kind of have something scheduled."

Tokiya raised an eyebrow at his cousin.

"I have a date, okay." Kauro defended.

"I thought you liked my sister." Fuuko said matter-of-factly.

Kauro widened his eyes and gaped at Fuuko who laughed at him.

"Kauro, I'm a Psychologist. I study behaviors and the way you act around Ganko tells it all. It's highly theoretical though but your expression is both priceless and confirmatory." She said in between laughs.

"Are you going out with Ganko?" Tokiya suddenly asked.

The younger boy immediately blushed crimson which sent Fuuko guffawing while Tokiya let out a low amused chuckle.

"No wonder the girl was jittery this morning." Fuuko said.

Kauro huffed and stomped out of the kitchen notwithstanding Fuuko's teasing and Tokiya's taunting.

"I guess it's just the two of us today ne, Mi-chan." Fuuko stated when she fully calmed down.

"What a joy." Tokiya sarcastically said.

But indeed, he believed he would enjoy being with her.

-Message in a Bottle-

Kurei was practically burning holes in the living room carpet by pacing and Recca was getting dizzy watching him do so.

"Aniki, can't you stop that?" Recca grunted.

"Shut up, Recca." Kurei glared at his younger brother.

"What's ticking you off anyway?" Recca asked as he sat on the couch.

Kurei poignantly ignored him. What was ticking him off? Fuuko Kirisawa, that's what! She left early in the morning with Koganei. It was nearly noon and she still wasn't home.

He was starting to question why he was fulfilling so many roles in her life: a friend, a brother, a father at times like now, he thought when the only role he did want to play was…

His mobile suddenly rang momentarily stopping him from pacing. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and checked the caller ID, knitting his eyebrows after double-checking the caller's name.

"Hello, Domon. You are aware that it's me you're calling. If it's Recca you want, call him on his phone." Kurei ranted.

"Geez, Kurei. Chill, man! I'm sure it's you I wanted to call so stop being your surly self for a while. Besides, I didn't call because I wanted to chat with you. I called because you'll answer and someone here wants to talk to you, a certain someone who promised to pay one month worth of my phone bills." He said as though he was talking to someone else on the other line. "Anyway, you'll never guess who suddenly showed up in Nashikiri. I'm passing the phone over to him."

Domon finished and Kurei heard two people talking on the other line but the voices were too muffled for him to distinguish who Domon was talking to.

"Hello…" A familiar voice greeted.

Kurei raised his eyebrow and stepped out of the living room and proceeded to the veranda before answering.

"What on earth are you playing at, Raiha?" Kurei scornfully asked.

"Okay, at least you're talking to me." Raiha replied.

"Do you have any idea of the extent of the damage you made?" He added.

"I can imagine."

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't fly to Nashikiri this instant and torture you for what you did to her." He threatened.

"I finally gave you your chance?" Raiha reasoned.

"What are you saying?"

"Oh come now, Kurei. Let's not play games. We both know that the only way you'll ever have your chance with her is if I got out of the picture and well, it's about time that I do. I pray that there's just enough time for her to forgive me and hopefully attend my wedding."

"You're my best friend but I don't understand you, Raiha."

Raiha laughed. "Do you remember Aki?"

"Yes. That American female friend of yours you introduced to me last year."

"Exactly. I'm marrying her next year." Raiha unceremoniously said.

If Raiha was anywhere near Kurei at that moment, he would've cowered in fear at the sight of Kurei oozing with an aura that screamed bloody murder.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I know you're angry at me and you have every right to be but please hear me out."

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to." Kurei said as he started pacing again.

"That's where you're wrong, Kurei. I owe you an apology probably more than I do to her."

"Five years, Raiha. You're throwing away five years. What has she done to you?"

"Understand this, Kurei. Aki was betrothed to me the day she was born. I really don't mind the arranged marriage and she actually is my first love." Raiha admitted.

"Damn you, Raiha! Is that supposed to make anyone feel better? Why did you have to involve Fuuko in your twisted schemes?" Kurei raged.

"You wound me. I genuinely cared for Fuuko in those five years but you see, Aki and I had never been strict with our relationship us living in different continents and all. But apparently our parents scheduled our wedding next year. They thought I was getting old and… Anyway, I had to break everything up with Fuuko. Yes, I made a huge mistake but in my defense, I really did care for her in those five years." Raiha replied calmly.

Kurei said nothing and so Raiha continued.

"I still feel that I owe you an apology more than anyone else, more than Fuuko herself. I'm sorry…. I took her away from you. I'm sorry I took advantage of the circumstances. But, not to degrade you or anything, you were too slow. Fuuko's not going to wait forever."

"I don't need lectures, Raiha." Kureio said annoyed at the fact that their conversation suddenly turned around. He was suppose to berate Raiha not the other way.

"I still am your best friend, right. I'm saying this because it should have happened a long time ago. Tell her, Kurei, because if you don't, I will. I'm giving you five days. If you won't do it, I'll tell her myself. Bye."

Raiha ended the call.

Kurei tried calling back but his friend refused to answer until he finally turned off Domon's phone.

"Tadaima!" He heard Fuuko call from the front door.

Kurei walked towards the living room to greet her but his greeting got stuck in his throat when he saw that she was not alone.

Close behind her was Mikagami, his hand hovering lightly on her back.

Raiha was right. Fuuko won't wait forever.

…And neither will Kurei.

-TBC-

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A/N: another chapter done I hope you guys like this because I definitely do… ahehe please do review and tell me what you think. Again, I did not proof-read because I'm proofreading Other God from chapters 1-10 at the moment. Hope you like this.

Yours,

Anne Raven.


	8. Chapter 8: Reality

A/N: Okay... I won't make this long...

Acknowledgments:

Aki-chan: hope you received my PMs. About Raiha, there's more confrontation between him and Kurei and Fuuko. I'm planning to put more of his side of the story there. Kami, I really don't know why I dislike Raiha's guts. hope you like this chapter.

Suryasree: I am infamous for not proof reading and typos are my signature... ahaha but well, I've corrected them already. happy reading!

satomika-chan:I'd love to laugh evilly with you. enjoy reading.

Shirayuki-san: For the duration of this fic, Raiha is going to be heartless and a downright antagonist. Hope this update is soon enough.

thepinkmartini: I hope you like the progress of this story. I try to put in as much twists to keep the readers happy. hehe

heart-san: Did I get it right? your name is heart... how cute... Thank you for reviewing. I can't thank you enough for making yourself known so I could personally thank you for reading my stories. Hope you like this update.

On to the story...

Standard Disclaimers still apply. (Seriously, I don't think I could own FoR even if I try to buy it from Anzai-sama.)

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Message in a Bottle by Anne Raven

**Reality**

Faster and faster, the coin spun. Glinting silver in the sunlight, rising higher towards the sky until gravity asserted its mighty hold and decreed that it go down to land on the waiting palm.

"Booyah! Heads, we go first!" Recca shouted as he picked up the volleyball cradled in between his feet.

"Is he always like that?" Tokiya asked while seating himself on the wicker chair on the veranda of the Kirisawa Residence.

"You have no idea, Tokiya-nii." Ganko drawled.

"Ganko-chan, you have to admit that Recca's zest for living is astounding and infectious." Yanagi beamed at both of them.

Tokiya tried to smile back but all he got was a grimace. If Hanabishi was indeed infectious, then he hoped that Kirisawa would keep her word and not let him get near. It was funny how the things that happened in his room turned out to be very lucid in his memory even though everything that happened before and after that was lost to him.

At least, he got what he wished, talk time with Yanagi and Ganbko. He had to remind himself to thank Fuuko for inviting the others to a game of beach volley when Kauro and Ganko arrived after their lunch date.

Being in the company of Ganko and Yanagi was like being in the company of… little girls, very sweet, very happy little girls. Tokiya was wondering where the pain, the angst, the anguish that Windchild so effectively translated in her letters were. Could it be possible that it was mere coincidence that they bought the same bottles that Windhcild used?

"We have to thank you, Tokiya-niisan. You really are a big help." Ganko said.

Tokiya knitted his eyebrows. He didn't catch half of what Ganko said to him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Some of my thoughts couldn't wait to be deliberated. Could you kindly repeat what you said, Ganko-chan?" He politely said.

Ganko smiled and repeated, "We want to thank you."

"What for?" He asked.

"For helping us keep Fuuko's head occupied." Yanagi explained.

"Excuse me?" Tokiya raised an eyebrow honestly not understanding why the two women were thanking him.

"Oh my! You don't know, do you? Fuuko-neechan never told you?" Ganko exclaimed.

"No. Whatever it is, Fuuko never bothered telling me." He admitted.

Ganko looked desperately at Yanagi. "What now, Yanagi-nee?"

Yanagi sighed and turned to Tokiya. "You see Mikagami-san, it's not quite appropriate for us to tell you the real deal. It's better if it comes from Fuuko herself but this we'll tell you. Fuuko didn't come on this vacation on a whim. We came here to support her in this exodus. We're thanking you because you're helping us help her." Yanagi explained.

"Neechan seems to be enjoying your company very much. So we hope you'll continue what you've been doing. Whatever it is." Ganko said suggestively.

"Of course. " Toikya said as he started to zone out again.

Kirisawa Fuuko, the only little girl he knew who managed to find trouble even without looking for it. But she was his friend, one of the truest he ever had, and even if he tried, he could never break a promise he made to his mother.

"Promise me, Tokiya." Tokiya clearly remembered his mother's face as she made him swear so long ago. "… that you'll take care of your little friend."

"Hai, Kaasan." He heard his nine-year-old voice ring in his mind.

"Aww, but Aunt Tomoko, I can take care of myself. You don't have to ask Mi-chan to do that." Replied the high pitched voice of an eight-year-old Fuuko.

"Non-sense, Fuuko-chan. Tokiya is the boy and he is older than you. Let him take care of you." His mother answered with a dazzling smile.

He could never understand why his mother was fond of the purple-headed monkey, his sister too. Tokiya smiled as he remembered how Fuuko sulked whenever Mifuyu would play dress up with her. The woman really was the key to the lock he placed on those fond memories.

"Fuuko-chan…" Yanagi yelled.

Tokiya suddenly opened his eyes which he unconsciously closed while he reminisced. The ball was careening her way and it was closing in faster than she could turn to face it. Like he said, she was a magnet for misfortune.

Fuuko screwed her eyes shut waiting for the impact. She was sure this would hurt. She tucked her head in between her arms and tried to maintain as much dignity as she could when all of a sudden, a force collided into her from a direction she didn't expect.

She found herself lying on the sand. It wasn't exactly soft but at least it didn't hurt like a volleyball gone awry. She heard her name shouted by several people but she didn't see them. Maybe the ball did hit her and impaired her vision when she heard a low and familiar voice whisper beside her.

"Open your eyes Fuuko. You're safe."

Fuuko realized her eyes were shut tight and ventured to open them and check the damage she might have incurred. Upon opening them, two intense deep blue orbs greeted her sight.

"Does anything hurt?" Kurei asked.

Fuuko finally realized that it was Kurei that knocked her out of the way of the ball making it completely miss her poorly protected head but the said action also ended with her lying on her back on the sand with him on top of her propping himself up with both his hands on either side of her head.

"I am so lucky you were my team mate." Fuuko breathlessly worded.

Kurei sported a lop-sided grin obviously relieved she wasn't hurt at all. She smiled back and slightly blushed. Kurei was about to tell her something when…

"Are you guys alright?" Reca asked as he stopped beside them.

"Recca, you idiot!" Kurei growled as he glared at his brother. "Did no one ever teach you sports ethics? Don't you know that you're supposed to roll the ball when passing from one court to the other, not throwing it haphazardly?" He seethed.

"Okay…" Recca warily said as he withdrew from the murderous glares Kurei and Fuuko aimed at him. "I'll go get the ball."

With that, Recca ran retrieving the ball that rolled off into the distance.

Ganko, Kauro, Yanagi immediately replaced him on the spot while Tokiya positioned himself on the other side. Ganko and Yanagi continued asking a string of questions whether she was fine, if she was hurt. AS much as Fuuko loved these two women, they were really exaggerating things too much.

Just then, two hands were thrust in front of her. One was from Tokiya and the other was from Kurei who managed to stand up already.

If the two men were, in any way, surprised or annoyed at the concurrency of their actions, they did not show it. But it effectively silenced Yanagi and Ganko. Fuuko rolled her eyes. They must have forgotten she had two hands as well. She placed one hand on Mi-chan's waiting palm and the other on Kurei's. Both of them pulled her up at the same time. And as she stood in between the two men, she noticed cold fury coming from both directions but it immediately dissipated when she looked at them that she had to consider it as her imagination.

-Message in a Bottle-

Tokiya was starting to become restless. It was nearly four in the afternoon and he was still over at the Kirisawa Residence. He should be getting ready to board the _Ensui. _He was half anxious that if he stayed longer, he would miss Windchild's letter. But he couldn't leave just yet. His instincts were telling him to keep an eye at Fuuko.

She sat beside him while Ganko played sub for her. Yanagi had long took up the position of referee which left the two of them on the veranda.

"You haven't done anything than watch." Fuuko noted.

"I'd rather watch than play." He replied.

He really, really had to go but his goodbyes were stuck somewhere he couldn't reach, when he thought of the best solution to his problem.

"Kirisawa, have you ever been on board a cruiser before?" He queried with a playful smirk on his face.

"No. Why do you ask?" She wondered.

"Go get dressed. I'm giving you your first experience. Just don't take too long or I'll leave you."

Eyeing him suspiciously, she proceeded to her room and changed. In less than ten minutes, she came down.

"How do I look? Hope I'm sea worthy enough for you." She said as she truned around once for his inspection.

Kami! She was effortlessly seductive in her tightly fitted and tapering deep green pea coat, her immaculate white turtleneck shirt complementing it perfectly. Even her jeans clung perfectly to her shapely thighs. Tokiya was having second-thoughts on this expedition.

She half ran towards the veranda and he heard her shout.

"Guys, I'll be over at Mi-chan's. I'll be back later."

Then she ran towards him and dragged him towards his car.

Outside, Ganko leaned in to Yanagi and whispered, "Looks like someone has a date of her own." Both girls giggled.

Kurei heard this and decided to vent out his fury on the game, sending Recca toppling to the ground after he launched a powerful serve.

-Message in a Bottle-

"You know, you leave Kauro at my place too much." She said as he drove to the Mikagami estate.

"He enjoys being there anyway." He replied as he shifted gears.

Fuuko suddenly laughed. "I remember what you told me last night. You said I could keep him." She explained when he suddenly glanced at her.

He smirked and stole another glance at her while she stared at the horizon. She seemed to be enjoying the breeze coming in from the open window. He pressed one of the various buttons on the dashboard and the roof started sliding down.

"Oh cool! I didn't know this was a convertible." She exclaimed.

"It's a Cabriolet. Of course it's a convertible." He said displaying more knowledge about cars than she did.

She stuck a tongue out and proceeded to look out.

It was then that he realized her smile didn't reach her eyes. There was something definitely wrong, something he was determined to find out.

-Message in a Bottle-

She shivered slightly as a gust of cold salty wind assailed the _Ensui. _She was thankful he told her to dress appropriately else she would've turned into a living Popsicle on deck with the usual way she dressed.

"How are you holding up?" He asked as he walked to stand beside her.

"I never thought sea breeze could be this chilly." She said.

"It gets worse farther out at sea. And it's nearly nighttime so it's bound to be cold." He explained.

Fuuko swept a quick head-to-toe glance at Tokiya and uttered, "You don't seem to be that much affected." She noted.

The moment they arrived at the Mikagami estate, he proceeded to change in his room while she waited for him in the living room. Fuuko felt overly dressed when he came down wearing dark gray board shorts, a royal blue three-fourths sleeve shirt and a bomber coat slung casually over his shoulder. Okay, it was a given that he had a nice body but did he have to flaunt it?

It wasn't the football player body build neither was it a skinny chess club type. It was like a swimmer's body, lean with well-defined muscles.

"The cold doesn't bother me that much." He said.

Tokiya was trying to gauge whether telling her more would be alright or not. Deciding that she would most likely understand him, at least in part, he continued, "The cold numbs the pain. The sea makes me forget." He finished as he leaned on the boat's railing.

Fuuko placed a hand over his arm and looked straight at him.

"I understand." She whispered. "I understand exactly what you mean." She smiled but it was a sad smile.

In an attempt to seek comfort and alleviate whatever discomposure he may have caused, Tokiya placed a hand over hers and realized how ice cold it was.

"You're freezing. Why don't you go down to the cabin and warm yourself?" He advised her.

Her smile turned sweeter. "I think I'll do that. But first, there's something I wanted to do."

Fuuko winked at Tokiya which earned a raised eyebrow and a smirk from him. She walked across the deck and proceeded to the bow of the boat, him following her. When she got there, she took one deep breath and took one step up the railing and held tight on the topmost rail so she wouldn't fall. Tokiya almost panicked when he saw her climb up the rail and would've pulled her back when she stared up the sky and suddenly shouted.

"I'm the queen of the world!"

That said, she immediately came down and turned to face him.

Tokiya tried but was unable to stop himself from snickering. "Really now?" He said thoroughly amused.

"That…" She began as she pointed her index finger to nowhere in particular. "… felt good. I've always wanted to do that." She smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, DiCaprio, let's go home." He said teasingly.

He hoped he didn't sound depressed despite the fact that he was. Night was falling and there was still no sign of Windchild's letter. He checked the cruiser's course many times and was sure that this spot was where the currents usually carried her letter. Tokiya was starting to accept the fact that he missed her letter, the first letter he missed.

He was walking towards the wheelhouse when he heard Fuuko's footsteps stop and retreat.

"Wait just a sec, Mi-chan. I forgot to do something."

He turned just in time to see Fuuko pull out a small green bottle from the inner pockets of her pea coat and poised to hurl it out to sea. Before she could throw it, he already held her hand with the bottle in it, his other arm wrapped around her slim waist pulling her away from the railing.

"What do you think you're doing?" Fuuko asked.

"I should be asking you that. Don't you know that it's… it's… illegal to litter. If the coastguard sees us, they'll definitely give us a fine and might even ban me from taking out _Ensui _for the remainder of my stay in Okinawa." He scolded thanking his quick thinking which hopefully would stop her from trying to fling the bottle out to sea again.

"But I've got to get rid of this."

There, he clearly heard the desperation in her voice. When he turned her to face him, he didn't expect to see what he sought the whole of the afternoon—that all-consuming pain reflected by her cobalt blue eyes, Windchild's pain in Fuuko's eyes.

"I'll take care of this for you." He said as he put the bottle in the pocket of his bomber coat.

Fuuko sighed in defeat. Tokiya had released her by then and she was trying her best not to meet his gaze. She decided she couldn't stand this embarrassing moment and so she proceeded to the wheelhouse.

"What's wrong?" He asked stopping her.

With her back still facing him she spoke. "I know what you feel, Mi-chan. I know how hard it is when someone you dearly love leaves you. But whereas your family left loving you until the very end, I could feel that Raiha left because he doesn't love me anymore. In fact, I think he never really loved me the way I wanted him to." She continued walking until she descended the stairs in the wheelhouse towards the cabin below deck.

He found her. He finally found Windchild. He thought he would be happy when he did. He was. But he never thought he would be this hurt seeing her hurt.

He had a lot of promises made to many others and he swore, he'll keep all of them.

-TBC-

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A/N: Check out my profile for some of the fanart I made for Sodales...

Anyway... I hope you guys like how Michan discovered who Windchild really is. Please review. This was not proof read again. And those who are waiting for Other God, A little patience. My muses are giving me a hard time at the moment. but rest assured the plots are intact.

Yours,

Anne Raven


	9. Chapter 9:Machinations of the Unprepared

**A/N: **Back from the dead... Well, not really but at least, I'm back. I'll save all the grovelling at collective feet of my readers for the long wait and hope that this chapter redeems me. I hope you guys forgive me for the long absence. And I hope, with this post, I'd have more time in between work and what-not to squeeze writing to.

Special thanks to : **thepinkmartini, FukuWija, satomika, heart, Suryasree, eirist, nils **and** Clovergirl100. **Thank you very much for the support you give this fic. Chapter 9.. finally.. tehees..

Standard Disclaimer applies.

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**Message in a Bottle** by Anne Raven

**Machinations of the Unprepared**

It was already dark.

Although whatever happened in that boat ride with Tokiya was no longer spoken of, Fuuko felt some form of residue settle. It was the sort of leftover feeling that forced people to do things they didn't normally do that when he came down the cabin to check on her, she had clung to him and started pouring out her frustrations. She was so distraught, she lost track of the times he wiped her tears away. It comforted her - the way he held her like he could prevent her from falling apart.

Then they talked about nothing and everything while they ate under the canopy of stars on the deck of Ensui, docked as it was by the Mikagami Estate. But he never asked and she never spoke of that one thing at least. Only when Kauro's bedroom lights clicked on did they realize that Fuuko was expected home.

Fuuko stayed over his place longer than she planned that when she got home, she wasn't surprised to find the lights out.

They were silent throughout the drive home and the silence stretched on as she bussed his cheek. Goodbyes got stuck on her throat because she knew they really weren't saying goodbye to each other.

"Tomorrow, Kirisawa..." he managed to choke out. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course, Mi-chan. Of course." She replied as a small smile graced her face.

She was thinking hard on how much he was able to save her at the most unexpected times in her life, just at the exact time she needed saving. That's twice now, Fuuko thought as she entered the house.

Fuuko leaned back against the door, wallowing go the darkness of the abandoned living room. She admired him. Fuuko Kirisawa admired Tokiya Mikagami in a way she could never admire someone else. He had been through a lot and yet there he was, thriving.

He was waiting for her. No one knew that he would be staying up late. He never told anyone and no one bothered to ask. But he did not expect she would be out this late that not even the sixth glass of whiskey helped ease his anxiety. He was afraid she might spend the night with the Mikagami heir.

He had no idea why he left the lights turned off. He just felt like waiting in the dark he supposed; besides, his eyes quickly adjusted in the dark. Then he heard the unmistakable screech of brakes being applied on tires. Thank the gods had pity on him.

Kurei watched her enter, surprised that she did not notice him. She usually wasn't this careless but he noticed that she was deep in thought and a faint blush spread on her cheeks. If he was sober, he would've thought of a million different reasons why she flushed but at that moment all he could think of was how pretty she was.

Fuuko felt her blood rush to her face. She might never admit it to anyone but it was alright to admit it to herself. Tokiya Mikagami was the type of guy you can easily fall in love with. Not that she was but she liked him enough.

If she wasn't so consumed by her thoughts, Fuuko would have noticed that she wasn't alone in the room.

"You came home late." He muttered.

Fuuko froze. She wasn't expecting anyone to stay awake and wait up for her. Surely, Ganko wouldn't. Everyone in her family was well convinced that she could take care of herself even more than Keisuke could. She never realized that someone would doubt hers and Tokiya's capability to take care of themselves until she realized who was waiting for her.

Kurei flicked the table lamp on and a warm yellow light flooded the room. It wasn't strong enough to lighten the entire living room but it was enough. Fuuko's eyes zoomed in on the bottle of whiskey on the coffee table and the shot glass on his hand before bringing them up to his face. His eyes never left her face; his gaze was penetrating.

If there was one person who could scare the wits out of Fuuko, it would have to be Kurei. For some reason, he always sparked fear in her like he was capable of hurting her which would definitely be saying something considering the fact that Fuuko was the type of person who rarely got scared. Kurei was definitely something else. And a drunk Kurei was no better.

Kurei sensed her uneasiness but somehow, that information stayed at the back of his mind buried behind more powerful intentions at the moment. The soft light from the lamp made her look more ethereal as if she would disappear if he closed his eyes. Charged by mysterious forces unknown even to himself, Kurei was pulled towards her like a moth to the flame.

Fuuko felt engulfed by Kurei's presence. She somewhat felt like a doe in trapped in headlights but the difference was that she wanted to stay there as he approached her. He stood directly in front of her trapping her between his arms on either side of her face, her back pressed aganst the door, the shot glass still cradled in his left hand.

"You came home late." He repeated gently this time as he whispered the words near her ear.

She could smell the alcohol he consumed. It wasn't really bad. It mixed well with the perfume he was wearing. It made him appear dark, mysterious, dangerous… desirable; as if he wasn't to begin with.

As her mind digested the fact that Kurei was almost a hair's breadth away from her, Fuuko felt Kurei's lips skim the edge of her jaw. The action raised the goose bumps on her arms; the feeling sent her heart racing. This was not something she expected Kurei to do. This was something she never thought would happen. She also believed that Raiha would never leave her. She believed she'd never see Tokiya again. She believed a thousand things would never happen to her. But there they were in that exact scenario. There she was; the once-impossible things in her life happening to her.

"Kurei…" She managed to utter before her mind went blank.

He lifted his eyes to look directly into hers and whispered, "If you really want me to stop, you'd tell me to." Then he lowered his face and lightly brushed his lips to hers.

Fuuko's lids started to close but snapped back open when her brain suddenly realized what was happening. This was Kurei. She valued him a lot and this was something that could make her lose him. And although what he was doing was making her feel wonderful, she knew they had to stop.

"Kurei…" She whispered against his lips. "Please… stop."

Kurei immediately drew back and looked at her, hurt evident on his face. It almost made her want to take back what she said but she knew both of them would hurt more if they let things go awry.

Fuuko wanted to explain but before the words came out he already lifted a finger and pressed it against her lips.

"Next time, please don't make me worry."

That was all he said before he left and walked upstairs to the room he shared with Recca.

Fuuko heard the door close before she slumped. She was confused… very confused. A week or two ago, her life was completely carefree. Now, she had to deal with feelings she couldn't even name. She wished it was all a dream. She wished she could wake up from it but in truth, it wasn't all nightmare. She just needed time to straighten things out. She just needed to get her feelings in line. She just needed sleep.

-Message in a Bottle-

Fuuko didn't think she would be back onboard the _Ensui _so soon but there she was, leaning on the railing of the boat while Tokiya stood behind her three nights after her first trip.

She was wearing a velvet green, empire waist dress with lace details on the bodice. Tokiya, on the other hand, was wearing something billboard worthy. She had a gut feeling the guy modeled for Armani. She was skeptical at the proposal and still was about the event. He had specifically requested her to dress formally that evening and when she arrived at the Mikagami Estate, she immediately saw that the _Ensui _was already rigged for some kind of dinner date.

Tokiya led out the _Ensui _far enough from shore but not too far out on sea. Tokiya had been the perfect gentleman, the perfect conversationalist, the perfect dinner date. Of course, Fuuko already knew this. This was the typical Mikagami style anyway. But what set her thinking was why he went through all the trouble of setting up something nice for her. Anyways, who was she to complain?

"It was great. Thanks for the wonderful dinner, Mi-chan." She grinned as he handed her a glass of merlot.

"You deserve a break from all the drama you showed me last night. I wish I had a camera so I can show you how pathetic you were yesterday." He said.

_Whack!_

No one insults Kirisawa Fuuko to her face even if it was true. Although she knew he meant well, it would've been better if he didn't mention it.

"I was kidding!" Tokiya grumbled as he rubbed the side of his head.

"So was I." Fuuko smiled slyly.

Tokiya arched an eyebrow. He should remember not to joke often with her because it hurts... a lot. But he smiled. This was something one regular Fuuko Kirisawa would be doing. At least he was able to keep angsty, depressed Fuuko Kirisawa out of the moment. By his standards, he was keeping more promises than he ever dreamed of keeping but he was surprised to find that it wasn't entirely that that made him want to make her laugh.

They emptied two bottles of wine in course of their conversation. Fuuko consumed copious amounts of alcohol. It was probable that he wasn't able to keep 'sad Fuuko' away entirely but it was alright. She won't get hurt just by drinking wine. Besides, he was there to watch over her. And as he carried a tipsy Fuuko down the cabin and laid her on the bed, he noticed that drinking made her flush and her color was beautiful. He liked her, he really did, but he never thought he would love her if it could be called love that he was feeling. It might be a mistake but he refused to think of it as such. It was not coincidence that _Windchild_ and Fuuko were one and the same. Fate worked to bring them back together.

Damn, the alcohol was taking effect on him as well, he thought.

"What on earth is running through that beautiful head of yours?" She asked.

Tokiya laughed. It was normal for Fuuko to have a loose tongue but praising him was not so usual.

"This beautiful head of mine is thinking of your equally beautiful head. Or maybe not so equally beautiful just by a notch or two." He replied flashing that one-sided smile of his.

"Stop rubbing it in, Mi-chan."

And as she pouted at him, he took the opportunity to kiss those luscious lips. It could have been the romantic mood or the full moon outside, the moment itself, maybe even the alcohol, but he didn't care. She was kissing him back anyway. It was easy to get lost in each other, he thought. But Tokiya wanted it to be beautiful. She deserved it.

"I love you." He whispered near her ear after nibbling it.

Fuuko stiffened. Then, she began pushing him away.

"What's wrong?" Tokiya asked as she started righting her clothes.

"You don't know what you're saying." She replied curtly.

"Yes I do." He retorted. He was the renowned smart-ass anyway.

"No you don't. How could you? Love me, I mean. You hardly know me." She snapped at him.

Tokiya shook his head. She was wrong and he could prove it. He knew her more than anyone might have and as he stood he walked over towards a small chest to get one of his most prized possessions.

"I know you more than you think I do." He said as he handed her letter by letter, bottle by bottle. "I know you... _Windchild._"

Fuuko's eyes grew wide. "These are not for you." She managed to say.

"It doesn't matter if they are. I found them. Finders, keepers, Fuuko." He replied as he took them all back.

"Fine! Keep them. But you're not keeping me here. Bring me home." She commanded.

And although he did not want to leave things as they were at that moment, there was nothing he could do. He could see her emotions spent on this one issue. And if there was one thing he did not want, it was to bring her more pain. And so he brought her home and prematurely ended the night he planned for her. If it went through according to his plans, she might not be going home tonight but he supposed the gods never wanted things to go his way. Many things didn't so why would this be different.

He opened he passenger's side door for her when they arrived at the Kirisawa rest house. She was fuming still and he hoped that things would change before they said goodnight so squatted and took both her hands in his while she still sat in his car.

"I was hoping you wouldn't hate me. But I want you to know that I never meant to make you feel this way." He explained.

"Actually, Mi-chan, I'm angrier at myself." She answered.

"Don't be. Despite what happened at the latter part, I loved spending the evening with you." Tokiya said as he stood and helped her stand as well.

"Thank you. loved spending my evening with you too. I might have overreacted though but please think about what you said. For both our sake." She smiled.

Fuuko kissed his cheek. She was thinking of kissing him again. The idea was very inviting. They just made up, sort of and it really felt nice kissing him earlier but just then...

"Fuuko..."

It was a voice she wished she could forget. He was the person she wished she could erase from her memories. But just when she thought she was moving on, there he was again standing in front of her doorstep with Domon, Recca and Kurei behind him.

"It's nice to finally see you again, Fuuko-chan." His smile was just as bright as it always was.

"Likewise, Raiha..."

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A/N: Chapter 9 done. I'd be following up on my other fics too. Hope you guys liked this. I know it's kinda rushed but oh well. Sometimes I think I've lost the ability to write. I hope I'm wrong. At least you guys could tell me what you think. And I'm so hoping for your reviews. Give me some love. Your reviews would be wonderful stress busters after a long day at work. Mwahugs

-Anne Raven


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